From euphoria to wellbeing: Correlates of gender euphoria and its association with mental wellbeing among transgender adults

Abstract

Purpose: There is a growing body of literature focusing on the importance of gender euphoria for transgender (hereafter ‘trans’) people. This article aims to explore factors that are associated with experiencing gender euphoria among trans adults in Australia, as well as identifying any correlation between gender euphoria and mental health within this population. Methods: Data from 1359 trans adults was drawn from Private Lives 3, the largest survey of LGBTQ+ people aged 18 and over in Australia. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, community connection and access to gender affirming care) associated with having ever experienced gender euphoria and to explore associations between gender euphoria and mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt within the past 12 months. Results: Most (69.1%) of the sample had experienced gender euphoria in their lifetime. However, the likelihood of ever experiencing gender euphoria differed across several factors, including sexual orientation, gender, age, level of education, and residential location. Most notably, non-binary participants were least likely to have experienced gender euphoria. Importantly, participants who felt that they were a part of the LGBTQ+ community in Australia and those who indicated that they were easily able to access gender affirming care were more likely to have experienced gender euphoria. Participants who were currently experiencing gender euphoria were less likely to report high/very high psychological distress and less likely to have experienced suicidal ideation in the past year. Conclusion: Experiencing gender euphoria may have important implications for the mental wellbeing of trans people, however, some are less likely than others to report these experiences. These findings have important implications for shaping trans affirming practices that enable experiences of gender euphoria.